Segregator



Jan. 24, 1961' H. LEON I 2,969,153

SEGREGATOR Filed June 26, 1959 INVENTOR.

H OWARD LEON ATTORNEY BYMWIAI'PW/ United States Patent SEGREGATOR Howard Leon, Hartshorne Road, Locust, NJ.

Filed June 2-6, 1959, Ser. No. 823,198

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) My invention relates to segregators and particularly to batch segregators useful to keep apart batches of laundry belonging to different persons.

It is an object of my invention to provide a segregator which will keep separate, one batch of laundry belonging to one laundry customer from an adjacent batch of laundry belonging to another laundry customer.

It is a further object of my invention to keep unfinished batches of laundry in a damp state so that they may be more readily ironed.

It is yet a further object of my invention to provide a continuing supply of sheets to be interposed between various batches of laundry in order to segregate them from adjacent batches of laundry.

It is yet a further object of my invention to provide a segregator which will always retain and provide a supply of sheets for the laundry operative.

These objects and advantages, as well as other objects and advantages, may be achieved by the device illustrated in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a segregator made in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a side view of a part of the upright rod and sheet retainer; and

Figure 4 is a view of a segregator sheet detached from the segregator rack.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my segregator provides a rack 11, having a base portion with a generally rectangular configuration. The base portion is formed of a rod having parallel sides 12, 13 integrally connected together by an elongated end 14. The opposite ends of the sides 12, 13 are bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees and extend upwardly to form vertical rods 15, 16. At the point of bend, an elongated rod 17 is attached to the sides 12, 13 thereby providing an elongated end opposite the elongated end 14. U-shaped bends 18, 19 are provided at the top of the vertical rods 15, 16. The end 20 of the U-shaped bends 18, 19 is threaded and is engaged by a ball 21 having an internally threaded passage to engage with the threads on the end 20. A plurality of sheets 22 is provided. These sheets are generally rectangular, made of fabric, and provided with grommets 23, positioned so as to each fit over and be freely slidable on the vertical rods 15, 16. These sheets are preferably made of plastic or cotton duck or they may even be made of a rigid or semi-rigid material. They may be relatively impervious to moisture and the Patented Jan. 24, 1961 outer sheet may be plastic if the other sheets are of natural or synthetic fibers. I

In laundry operations, it is vital to keep separate, batches of articles belonging to different customers. Such items are frequently stacked upon tables or transportation carts 24. In order to keep one batch separate from another, a sheet is thrown over each batch to separate it from the overlying batch. Such a sheet serves the dual purpose of keeping unironed materials moist and ready for ironing, as well as maintaining the separate identity of each customers batch. Supplies of these sheets are frequently missing and the operative is delayed by the necessity for searching for and obtaining other batches of sheets. With the use of my segregator rack, which may be placed upon a table or cart, there is always a supply of sheets hanging hanging from the rack and retained in place by the balls 21, 21. Each succeeding batch of laundry, when placed on the table, is separated from the predecessor batch by pulling one of the sheets 22 over the topmost batch and then piling the next batch on top of that sheet, as shown in Figure 2. A high degree of convenience exists in the ultilization of a rack of this kind, a supply of sheets is always at hand, and the unironed batches covered over by a sheet 22, retains its moisture for a longer period of time so that it may be ironed with ease.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

I claim:

1. A segregator comprising a base, a generally vertical rod attached to the base, an arcuate end on the top of the rod, a retainer attached to the arcuate end, a flexible, moisure resistant sheet slidably mounted on the rod, the end of the rod disposed at a distance above the base to suspend at least a portion of the sheet from the retainer.

2. A segregator comprising a base, a pair of generally vertical rods attached to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, generally inverted integral U-shaped ends on the tops of the rods, a retainer attached to each of the U-shaped ends, a plurality of flexible moisture resistant sheets slidably mounted on the rods, the ends of the U-shaped rods disposed at a distance above the base to suspend at least a portion of each of the sheets from the retainers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 533,972 Swank Feb. 12 .1895

742.088 Walker Oct. 20, 1903 1,023,329 Payne Apr. 16, 1912 1,737,053 McCracken Nov. 26, 1929 2,172,013 Parry Sept. 5, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 374.048 France Apr. 8. 1,907 

